Groove Tubes: Your Recording Environment

Professional studios often have several different acoustic spaces available ranging from a small, relatively dead isolation booth to cavernous rooms with lots of natural reflections and long delay times. Home recordists have fewer options, yet experimenting with recording in different rooms may yield interesting results. Large rooms and tall ceilings will give a more open sound than small rooms and low ceilings. The amount of furniture and reflectivity of various surfaces is also an influence. A carpeted floor, for example, has a damping effect as opposed to the reflectivity of a wood or tile floor.

There are many times when it is beneficial to create methods of isolating the microphones or otherwise controlling the room acoustics. Such scenarios include having a poor sounding room, having an open mic in the same room as recording gear exhibiting fan noise, or recording multiple performers simultaneously. In cases like these, consider solutions such as applying acoustic treatment to the room, creating a temporary isolation booth by hanging or “tenting” blankets, or building movable partitions. Moving blankets, “egg-crate” foam and carpet are common acoustic damping materials for home studio use. Music stands can also be reflective—something you can compensate for by simply draping towels over them.

It is often beneficial to devise methods of controlling room acoustics such as constructing a tent using blankets.

While a reasonable amount of absorption is often desirable for isolation, too much damping can create an anechoic space that literally sucks the life out of a recording. In more permanent project studios, consider creating a flexible acoustic environment. One solution is a series of gobos or movable panels with a reflective surface on one side and an absorptive surface on the other. These can then be moved and placed as desired for a given project. Another solution is to create reflective walls with movable absorptive drapes in front of them.

Finally, don’t overlook the acoustic resources you have available. Many a vocal track has been recorded by running a mic into a tile or marble bathroom. (People like singing in the shower for good reason—the sonic reflectivity can make even mediocre voices sound great!) Recording engineers have frequently placed speakers and mics in concrete stairwells to transform the concrete acoustics into reverb chambers. The drum track for Led Zeppelin’s classic “When the Levy Breaks” was so incredibly ambient because John Bonham’s drums were set up in the stairwell of a stone castle. Similarly, some classic Jimmy Page tracks were realized by placing his guitar amp in a fireplace and miking the top of the chimney. Again, the only real rule is to use what works for the track.

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